Who would you like to have met?

Recently I was daydreaming about my dad, thinking about how much I miss him and the questions I’d like to ask him.

This reflection led me to wonder about ancient relatives who I have spent a lifetime studying through various genealogy projects. Soon I was imagining which ancestors I would like to meet. I could see how they stood, hear their voices and ponder their views on the world and life.

Before long I was thinking about important people in history – Presidents Washington, Monroe and Lincoln, to name a few. Wouldn’t it be something to meet old William Shakespeare and listen to what the world’s greatest wordsmith had to say? Or how about Mozart, Beethoven or Bach? I would love to meet Martin Luther and John Wesley, Michelangelo, Norman Rockwell. Paul Revere, Ernie Pyle and E.B. White, along with Tom Edison and Henry Ford.

Soon I was contemplating professional ancestors. The relative youth of our profession, my age and many fortuitous opportunities have allowed me to meet and know many industry luminaries and leaders.

I once shared a cab ride with Eb Steiniger, and fairly early in my career I was introduced to Chet Mendenhall. Founding GCSAA member Harry Hanson lived close by and I visited him often. Once, Walter Wood and I were on a program together and he invited me to stay with him if I ever visited St. Andrews. Years ago I had lunch with Richie Valentine and I was delighted to know him a bit. He shared stories about his father, Joe. They were great and I wish I’d known him, too.

Good fortune allowed me to meet Sherwood Moore, a gracious gentleman who was a giant among us, so much so he was given the Old Tom Morris Award by GCSAA. I never had the opportunity to meet John Bone, a predecessor at my club of 36 years. He was one of our state chapter’s founders and the only man to serve three terms as its president. He wrote extensively in the Green Section Record and the National Greenkeeper. I would have learned a lot.

And who wouldn’t cherish the opportunity to meet Col. John Morley, the visionary who led the formation of our modern day GCSAA?

I have been lucky to known many of the professors and scientists who advanced the profession through research, teaching and extension activities. From those at our own land grant university to various men and women around the country – so many to name I’d surely leave someone out. But I have attended their classes, read their textbooks and sought their advice on a personal basis. They all made phenomenal contributions. I can go back as far as Dr. Fred Grau, but I never met Dr. Burt Musser, well known in his time because of his excellent and widely used textbook.

And speaking of textbooks, I’d love to have met Drs. Piper and Oakley, USDA turf researchers who in 1917 authored “Turf for Golf Courses.” It was a standard text for years and both were influential in the Green Section. Add to this list other well-known professors who played a role early in our business, such as MSU’s William Beal, Cornell’s Liberty Hyde Bailey and Wisconsin’s Aldo Leopold.

Then there’s O.J. Noer, one of turf’s all-time great agronomists, who died before I was a turf undergrad. He was a great man, a pioneer and an intellect and writer who was accorded the GCSAA DSA three times.

Like most superintendents, I have an interest in course design and designers. It has been a privilege to enjoy a friendship with Geoffrey Cornish. Many of those his junior have been friends, also. And wouldn‘t it be great to meet Alister Mackenzie, A.W. Tillinghast and C.B. Macdonald and Donald Ross? The best we can do is study their work and read their words.

As a bibliophile I’ve had contact with many golf writers. I had a warm relationship with Hebert Warren Wind, met the Graffis brothers and have a nice collection of autographed golf books. But in golf’s history, Bernard Darwin stands out. Gosh, I would love to have heard his voice and engaged him in conversation.

I would include some tangential individuals, such as equipment pioneer John Deere, landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmstead and U.S. Senator Justin Smith Morrill. Surprisingly, the only players on my list are Bob Jones, Walter Hagen and James Braid.

This brings me to the person I would like to have met the most. He is the obvious choice – Old Tom Morris. With his full beard and stout appearance, he stood out with a presence few had. Biographies of him say he was a friendly, respectful and well-organized person who commanded respect. I don’t think I would shrink in his presence, no doubt I would be at a loss of words. For a while, at least. GCI

Carolina on my mind

People often marvel about how much I travel for business. I probably hear “I bet you get to travel a lot with your job” almost as often as “Do you know you look like Bill Cowher?”

(Column Interruption: I got a short break from hearing the Cowher thing recently. Last month, to inspire the hapless little-league football team I coach, I bet them that I’d shave my mustache off if they won a game. The little ragamuffins promptly pulled together and stomped a rival team for their only win. So off came the ‘stache that I’d worn for pretty much my entire adult life. Not only did I not look like Bill Cowher, I looked like an alien. My lip weasel has since returned.)

Anyway, the outward glamour of business travel disguises the grind of standing in airport security lines, eating cruddy food, dealing with rental car morons and never knowing what to expect when you check into a hotel.

(Column Interruption: My all-time favorite hotel horror story occurred when I checked into a Marriott in Miami a few years ago. I noticed the carpet in part of my room was soaking wet and the place smelled like cleaning solvent. I looked behind a curtain and there was an ominous red substance splattered on the wall. Turns out some guy had blown his brains out in the room the night before and the Marriott guest suicide clean-up crew had not exactly done a thorough job.)

Yet, despite my whining, I cannot deny that I get to go some nice places as part of this job. Nor can I deny that Pinehurst is one of my favorites.

There is an aura about the entire Pinehurst experience that is hard to describe. The Carolina Hotel – one of the grandest old places in golf – drips with history and ambience. The people are fabulously friendly and interesting. It’s like they jam an IV drip of Southern hospitality in your arm the moment you walk in the door.

But, there’s far more to Pinehurst than fantastic golf and idiosyncratic antebellum charm. Look underneath the gorgeous veneer and you’ll find a steely modern business model that should be the envy of everyone in golf.

I was reminded of that when I interviewed Bob Farren, Pinehurst’s director of grounds and golf course management, for this month’s Q&A (click either Back to the future and/or the Online Extra). I’ve known Bob for 20 years but I think this was the first extended conversation I’ve had with him. Over the years, whenever I’ve talked with someone from Pinehurst’s management team – from Bob Dedman Sr. and Jr. to Brad Kocher to Paul Jett to Bob Farren – I was blown away at how smart and focused they are.

(Column Interruption: No, I did not ask Bob Farren about Paul Jett’s departure. Nor did I ask Paul. None of my damned business, thank you very much.)

Here’s what I was reminded of about Pinehurst’s philosophy in my conversation with Bob:
They measure the right things. Beneath the casual Southern gentility beats the heart of a ruthless Yankee accountant. They know to the penny their revenue and profit per guest and what their maintenance cost per round and per hole is on each course. As Bob pointed out, return on investment and economic sustainability should be the primary metric used in deciding how every dollar is spent.

They understand branding – not just marketing. As much as I love the aggressive advertising and promotion done by the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and the Myrtle Beach folks, Pinehurst gets branding better than just about anyone else. Everything they do supports the brand: Quiet, casual yet elegant, historic but fun. Changing the look and playability of No. 2 is not a renovation or restoration… it’s a rebranding of the entire facility. The bottom line is that after redoing No. 4, building No. 8 and playing around elsewhere, the place was in danger of becoming homogeneous. Why would you want eight courses that were kind of all the same?

As ROI-focused as they are, this was a “gut” decision. Neither Mr. Dedman or his father ever shied away from taking calculated risks when their heart tells them it’s the right thing to do to profitably steward Pinehurst. Personally, the decision to turn back the clock, leverage the trend toward minimalist/naturalist design and retake the attention of the golf world is nothing short of brilliant. Do you seriously believe any of their core customers will refuse to play No. 2 because it looks “messy” compared to a year ago? Can you imagine the buzz this will create in the run-up to back-to-back Mens/Womens U.S. Opens in 2014?

(Final Column Interruption: No one has ever hosted back-to-back majors before. This is borderline crazy. But, if anyone can do it, it’s Bob and his team.)

As much as business travel grates on me, you will never hear me bitch about a chance to head to the Sand Hills and point my rental car toward the Village of Pinehurst where beauty, elegance and great golf blend with a savvy and sophisticated business approach everyone should study. GCI

Bunker irrigation

Recently, bunker face irrigation has become increasingly popular. As architects designed and renovated courses to have steep, grass bunker faces, the difficulties in maintaining these faces without irrigation became obvious.

Bunker face irrigation can provide significant improvement to the quality of the turf over time. Figure 1 shows a bunker face with irrigation covering only part of the bunker. You can see the irrigated side (right) is in better shape than the non-irrigated side (left). There are ways to irrigate bunker faces that have been attempted over the years, but many lack the ability to maintain the face within tolerable parameters.

In the past, many designers assumed the green or green surround sprinklers would cover the green side bunkers or that an expanded fairway irrigation system would cover the fairway bunkers. In many cases, a double-row system would be expanded to a triple row that included part- or Figure 1.full-circle sprinklers behind the fairway bunker. It was quickly determined, however, that large golf sprinklers were not adequate to maintain the face itself, as long runtimes were required and parts of the fairway and rough would end up overwatered. The same would happen around the green complex – the amount of water required was more than the surrounding turf needed.

Some courses then attempted to use small, residential-type sprinklers with a 30- to 40-foot radius in a block configuration, but these still overwatered the surrounding area and did not provide adequate control.

Next, small, spray-type sprinklers were tried. The spray sprinklers were installed at the top of the slope above the bunker face using part-circle sprinklers in a block configuration with the number of sprinklers varying depending on bunker size and how much face there was to water. Spray sprinklers are somewhat fragile and also have a very high precipitation rate. The high-precipitation rate, even when operated for a short time, caused the bunker to wash out. Cycle and soak was not an option given the short runtimes required by the high-precipitation rates. Despite the drawbacks, these type systems were the most popular solution.

Today’s bunker systems utilize small, multiple-stream, multiple-trajectory (MSMT) type nozzles (Hunter MPRotators, Rain Bird Rotary Nozzles and Toro Precision Series Rotating Nozzles) on spray head bodies equipped with pressure regulating stems. MSMT nozzles have much lower precipitation rates than spray heads, in the 0.6- inches-per-hour range versus the 1.75-inches-per-hour range and higher uniformities. The sprinklers are still installed at the top of the slope and water just the area of the bunker that has the face. A 12-foot to 20-foot spacing works best. The sprinklers should be regulated to 40/45 psi for optimum uniformity. Their high uniformity, when compared to spray sprinklers, allows for reduced runtime, saved water and dryer sand.

Not all bunkers need to be irrigated, but those that are south-facing or with very steep faces should be. The flat part of the turf around the bunker will still be watered by the regular irrigation system. Individual valving per bunker is preferred, but bunkers with similar exposures can be valved together to save money. There are still maintenance issues with the sprinklers, but it is a compromise between good irrigation and slightly higher maintenance. GCI

What we can learn from Canada

No matter what happens on a golf course, no matter how many precautions we take, much of the public perceives golf courses as places of danger, spreading pesticides and other chemicals into our food and water and unfairly using water for a sport that only benefits an elite few.

This is not a problem unique to the U.S., which is why I spoke with Teri Yamada, executive director of Integrated Pest Management of Canada, a group teaching turf grass, landscape and vegetation managers how to properly use and apply pesticides.

Based on her experience in Canada, Teri has great ideas about dealing with public misconceptions. Everyone needs to be on the lookout for the following actions that can severely affect our ability to do our jobs:

Legislation begins at a local level then moves up the ladder. If local groups propose bans on pesticides, then explain the importance of pesticides throughout our communities – not just to golf.

These usually result in the removal of products from store shelves or stringent requirements for application with lowered dosages for less environmental impact.

Water is the next gold, so be alert for efforts to limit course irrigation, as well as lawns and private property.

Golf superintendents must become the leaders at the grass-roots level in educating politicians and voters. If we’re unable to explain who we are and what we do, then these issues will be debated and decided at state capitals and in Washington D.C. If it gets to that point, we will lose all control and should expect increased government oversight and bans. When dealing at local and state levels, keep in mind:

It’s about the bottom line. Laws are made and changed when someone’s livelihood is affected.

Environmental groups deal in emotions, not facts, starting with the notion they’re saving the planet. Convince people you’re doing the same.

More citizens are in activist roles than ever before, especially women and young people, two groups who, while golf friendly, have not been good advocates.

Superintendents must change the perception of how agronomics are managed. Stay on top of your community’s environmental issues, from land preservation and water use in parks and ball fields to fertilizer runoff into local streams.

Water. There is no more controversial subject and in the public’s emotional way of thinking, golf is a big offender. Expect local groups to ask for closer monitoring of your water use. As with other environmental issues, get involved at the local level because this is where decisions will affect your ability to do your job.

•Document exactly how much water is used and when.

•Provide an accurate irrigation audit prepared by accredited irrigation auditors. They should detail system improvements, upgrades and modification and reinforce the fact that water is not wasted. Note how water use changes during wide climatic swings, not only on golf courses but everywhere.

Pesticides. The issues are similar, but not identical, to water. Whereas everyone expects ready access to clean water, they want to be free of pesticides; something we must teach is impractical and potentially harmful. The following should help:

Learn to read public opinion and know what the local population believes about the environment. Watch for trends.

Marshall the forces within the industry to make your case. There are plenty of resources available.

Change golfer expectations. This will be difficult and take time.

Produce conditions that are reasonable and safe. If you’re not preparing a tournament course then don’t make it look like one.

Communicate with those who disagree and offer to educate them that standard golf practices are environmentally safe and produce a helpful, green resource.

Bring accredited environmental decision makers to meetings, but be sure they speak plainly and can handle negative reactions. GCI

Billy Casper Golf to manage Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club

Company's namesake Billy Casper who was the club’s Touring Pro when it opened in 1971.

Billy Casper Golf (BCG) – owner and operator of more than 125 golf courses, country clubs and resorts – has been selected to manage Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club, five miles west of Ocean City on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The engagement increases BCG’s portfolio to 25 courses in the Mid-Atlantic.

At the semi-private Ocean Pines, the firm will oversee all aspects operations, marketing and public relations, staffing and training, merchandising, clubhouse food and beverage, financial management, golf instruction and special events.
Indirectly, the BCG connection to Ocean Pines is through company namesake Billy Casper who was the club’s Touring Pro when it opened in 1971.

BCG bested several golf-course management companies in the nationwide search by the Ocean Pines Association.

“We’re excited to partner with Billy Casper Golf,” says Tom Terry, President of the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors. “The company is positioned to bring fresh ideas, a strong infrastructure and operational perfectionism to further ‘wow’ golfers.”

“Ocean Pines boasts a strong golf course and sense of community pride,” says Peter Hill, Chairman and CEO of BCG. “Billy Casper Golf will build on those tenets by acutely delivering superb course conditions and enjoyable guest activities time and again.”

Open to the public, Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club is part of an 8,000-home community. It features an 18-hole, par-72, 6,927-yard layout and Delmarva Peninsula's only design by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Nestled amid natural wetlands and scenic woodlands with water in play on 10 holes, five sets of tees and ample scoring opportunities dare players of all abilities to challenge themselves.